Narrative:
When the convent continued to expand in population after the turnoff the century, St. Teresa Hall was attached at an angle to the southwest corner of ST. Gertrude Hall in 1914, serving originally as a dormitory, gymnasium, and classroom facility. It is four stories high with a flat roof and double hung windows, some of which were partially infilled at an undetermined date. The main arched entrance on the east wall is accessed by a decorative wrought-iron staircase and flanked on each side by large arched windows. An ornate circular staircase, also made of wrought iron, is attached to the southeast corner. (From National Register Report, "St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District" [1989].)

Major renovation of Saint Teresa hall in 1989 transformed it from a library and dorm to an administrative and faculty office center. The goals of the renovation, carried out by Grooters and Associates/Architects, were to preserve the historical integrity of the building while reorganizing use of space to incorporate modern mechanical and electrical systems and to create a new entrance to the administrative center that would also serve as a "front door" to campus. The success of the restoration has been recognized and featured in the 1991 September/October issue of Architecture Minnesota, and recognized by the Preservation Alliance ofMinnesota, which gave the college one of ten awards in 1991 recognizing "outstanding contributions by groups and individuals in the preserving the historic resources of the State."

References:

Architecture Minnesota (September/October 1991).

Blegen, Theodore C. Minnesota: A History of the State. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1975.

Koop, Michael. St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District [College of Saint Benedict]. National Register of Historic Places designation report. Washington, DC: Department of the Interior/National Park Service, 1989.